


Apple Pie

by padfootagain



Category: Chronicles of Narnia (Movies), Chronicles of Narnia - All Media Types, Chronicles of Narnia - C. S. Lewis
Genre: Cute, F/M, Fluff, Narnia, Romantic Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 19:23:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16898469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/padfootagain/pseuds/padfootagain
Summary: The feelings you have for Caspian but that you try to hard bring much worry to you. Seeing you so restless, the King offers you your favourite cake to ease your mind.





	Apple Pie

**Author's Note:**

> This was requested for a celebration on tumblr.  
> The prompts are :  
> 39\. “Give me a kiss.”  
> 40\. “You have something… right… here…”  
> And for the second request :  
> 10\. “I’m just trying to protect you.”  
> 31\. “I’m begging you… just forgive me.”  
> 55\. “I feel so warm and safe in your arms.”  
> Fluff, and angst, and fluff!  
> Hope you all like it :) Tell me what you think about it!

Caspian was a confident man. His role as King implied that he needed to be constantly shining with confidence, convincing everyone around him that he held the right decision to take. And he was good at showing people this side of him. He had become good at it, over the years he had spent ruling Narnia. He knew that the lives of all living under his protection depended on the choices he made. It had forced a stern expression to linger on his face for most of his days, a smile crackling his serious mask only a few times a day when a friend of his made a joke.

Despite this stern expression, his gaze had never stopped being soft. There was a kindness there that revealed the true nature of his soul. His two brown eyes were open windows upon his heart : they burnt from within when wrath shook him to the bones, they softened when they laid on his people…

He inspired trust and respect to all who met him, and all considered him a good and strong king. After all, his will never faltered, and his expression was always determined…

…except when it came to you.

This dance had been going on for months and months already. The two of you talking during balls or other official occasions. You blushing as he complimented your clothes. Him blushing as you smiled back at him. But it never went beyond the shallow questions he would ask everyone in the room. You could see his brown eyes lingering on you though, and knew what his gaze meant, that if he could, he would have stayed with you for a little longer…

But you were the daughter of a king, sent to Narnia to ensure diplomatic relationships with Caspian’s realm. And if there was one thing that you could not do, it was falling in love with the King.

But no matter what your head would forbid you, your heart had other plans. And you couldn’t find a way to control the butterflies in your stomach at the sight of him, your heart skipping a beat when you heard his deep voice…

And he knew that you were bond to your duties as a representative and would never be allowed to be his, and yet he couldn’t help the way he felt. The way his heart rushed under his ribs when you smiled at him, the tickles that travelled through his hands when his eyes met your infinite gaze…

You both knew that it was impossible, and yet you couldn’t help but fall deeper and deeper in this gap that kept on guiding you down a path you were forbidden to take. And the more time flew by, the more your feelings kept on getting deeper and deeper.

It had reached a point that it was physically hurting. He never left your thoughts, appearing in your dreams at night or keeping you awake. And your image was always painted before his eyes as well…

Actually, Caspian’s strange behaviour that appeared when he was around you didn’t remain unnoticed for long. The way he kept on glancing at you when you were around and were not looking at him, the way he stuttered upon his words when he talked to you, the way his stern expression melted in a warm smile when his eyes rested upon you, the way he blushed when you looked at him, the way his voice became deeper and softer when he spoke to you…

And as these strange signs could be seen on you as well, rumours started to spread across the Castle like a fire through dry corn fields in a hot summer.

You were certain that Caspian didn’t know anything about these rumours, he would have denied them publicly if he had. But to be fairly honest, Caspian was not the one you were worried about…

… what if your father learned about them?

You heaved a tired sigh. The worries you carried were too much for you to take now.

Your eyes were set on the flowers before you, white roses drenched with the reddened light of twilight. But you couldn’t see them, your mind was too busy thinking about all the consequences that this situation involved.

You didn’t notice as Caspian approached your bench. He walked with slow, hesitant steps. His heart was racing, like it always did when he was near you. He could feel his cheeks warm up already and he silently cursed himself for his ridiculous reaction.

He cleared his voice, making you finally turn towards him. He met your surprised expression with a warm smile.

“Good evening, Princess Y/N.”

You noticed that he was carrying a little box in his hands.

“Good evening, your Highness.”

“It’s a lovely evening, isn’t it?”

“It is indeed.”

He struggled to swallow, looking at the little box he held in his hand.

“I… I heard that you were worried these days. And… I know that you generally like those… so I’ve asked the cooks to prepare this for you. I… I was hoping it would make you feel better.”

He clumsily handed you the box, and you thanked him with a smile, although you wondered what it could be.

You opened his gift, and you couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of the apple pie that rested inside.

“It’s my favourite cake,” you grinned, looking up at him. “How did you know?”

He shrugged.

“I listen when you talk,” he answered with a humorous smile.

You chuckled, pushing a strand of your hair behind your ear. You could feel the skin of your neck becoming hotter and hotter as Caspian kept his intense stare fixed upon you. You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to calm down your messy heartbeat.

“Well, thank you very much, Your Highess,” you smiled up at him. “It does warm my heart indeed.”

“I’m glad it does, Your Grace,” he beamed.

He bit down on his lower lip, hesitating to ask the question that was burning the tip of his tongue. Your heart skipped a beat at the sight of his white teeth imprisoning his full lip.

“If I may ask…” Caspian spoke slowly, his tone soft, as if he was afraid you would suddenly be scared and run away never to be seen again. “What is the source of such a worry?”

You looked down at the cake again, hiding your burning cheeks. Caspian’s eyes narrowed.

“I did not mean any offence…” he breathed.

“You didn’t offend me,” you reassured him.

“I just thought… perhaps I could help…”

You looked up at him again. If he denied the rumours, it would solve all your problems. But then… you would lose all hope that he could feel the same. It was stupid, and you cursed yourself for thinking about this desire of yours, but it was not something that you could control. You knew you couldn’t be together, and yet you still had hoped that Caspian could share your feelings.

“May I?” he asked, nodding at the empty space next to you upon the bench.

“Of course,” you breathed, letting him sit down next to you.

Caspian decided not to insist, guessing that if you really wanted to talk about your problems, you would open up sooner or later.

“You should try it,” he said, gesturing towards the pie in your hands. “I hope it’s good.”

You smiled, taking a bite of the cake. You nodded, a grin forming on your features.

“It’s delicious,” you nodded. “Thank you again, Your Highness.”

He smiled a dreamy smile, his expression soft and tender as he stared at you.

“You’ve been living here for a long time now… Caspian is enough,” he breathed.

You looked cautiously at him, recognizing the tenderness in his gaze, the affection he couldn’t manage to hide and that his two brown orbs revealed. Your lips parted slightly, but you nodded anyway.

“As you wish,” you whispered.

“Unless it makes you feel uncomfortable,” he hurried to add, puzzled by your expression.

He couldn’t find any word to describe this expression of yours, but he knew that something was wrong. And he didn’t know how to deal with your reactions. So he blushed fiercely, looking at the sun setting beyond the horizon instead of staring at you.

“It doesn’t,” you reassured him. “But I shall call you Caspian only if you call me Y/N.”

You exchanged a smile.

“Sounds fair enough, Y/N.”

You took another bite of your pie, a smile grazing your lips. You loved the way he said your name : soft, warm, gentle… as if it was a fragile flower he had to keep in his hands and was afraid to crush.

He chuckled, and you looked up at him again.

“You have some pie…” he said, touching his chin to show you where you were dirty.

You hurried to sweep the piece of pie away with the back of your hand, but a little crumb remained, and an amused smile crossed Caspian’s features.

“May I?” he asked, rising his hand and approaching his fingers from your face.

You nodded. He rested his thumb against your chin, the calloused skin sending shivers throughout your entire being. Your heart stumbled and trembled under his soft touch, while his thumb brushed softly your chin. The crumb fell into the box you were still holding, instantly forgotten.

Caspian’s breath was messy, you could hear it. His eyes had darkened, his gaze fixed on the piece of skin he kept on stroking softly.

His fingertips moved to rest on your cheek, his thumb travelling across your soft skin to reach the outlines of your lips.

He had no idea of what he was doing. His mind had stopped, and all logical thought was now banished from his head. All he could manage to realize was how soft your skin was under his rough fingers. His touch was feathery across your features, he wanted to memorize it : the form of your chin, the edges of your cheekbone, the curve of your lips…

It’s only when you whispered his name that his mind snapped back into action, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of his thumb resting on your lips.

He immediately snatched his fingers away from you, his cheeks turning crimson, and an embarrassed expression covering his kingly features.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled under his breath.

“It’s okay,” you whispered back.

“No, it’s not… it was… inappropriate and completely out of line. I’m sorry.”

You nodded slowly, your head dropping and your eyes resting on the cake resting on your knees again.

When he saw a tear rolling down your cheek, Caspian frowned hard.

“Y/N?” he stuttered. “I… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to offend you… _I’m begging you… just forgive me._ ”

“You didn’t offend me, Caspian,” you reassured him once more, your voice made hoarse by tears.

“Y/N…”

“But this… this could never happen, right?” you whispered. “So there is no need to have much hope…”

Your voice broke, and you fell silent, your throat too tight for you to speak again.

“I… I’ve never imagined that you could feel the same way…” he whispered.

Despite your tears, you turned your gaze towards him again. You didn’t pay attention to your reddened eyes and to the tears rolling down your face, his words were all that mattered for now.

“Do you feel that way too?” you asked in a shaking whisper.

He nodded, a smile forming on his lips.

“I didn’t think that you could…” he started, but stopped mid-sentence.

His hand rose to your cheek again, his fingertips getting lost in your hair. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter a single word, you put the pie next to you, and rested your head against his shoulder, your hands flying up and turning into fists around his shirt.

Caspian wrapped his other arm around you, pulling you closer to him. The feeling of your two bodies pressed together made your two hearts race into your chests.

“My father can’t know,” you whispered. “If he learns about the way I feel for you, he will ask for my return…”

Caspian tightened his hold upon you.

“I want to court you,” he whispered.

You smiled, nuzzling your face against his shoulder, and the friction made Caspian’s breath be caught in his throat.

“You don’t need to, the feelings are already here,” you answered.

He rested his lips against your hair, breathing in your delicate scent, his eyes closing as he tried to focus on all these feelings that rushed through his veins as he held you close to him.

“Give me a chance,” he breathed against your hair, and you could hear desperation in his tone, almost begging.

You nodded.

“But no one can know, not for now,” you ordered.

He merely nodded.

As long as he could have a chance, he was ready to accept any condition… for now…

————————————————————

You checked again that no one had followed you down the narrow path. This game had been on for weeks now, but you didn’t have a choice… Secrecy was the prize to pay to be with Caspian for now, and it was worth it.

You hurried down the path leading to a forgotten part of the gardens as your eyes caught Caspian’s tall silhouette already standing on the patch of grass. He turned around at the sound of your approaching footsteps, a grin instantly forming on his lips.

He caught you in his arms as you rushed against his chest, your arms instantly wrapping around his strong torso. He chuckled, running his hands through your hair.

“Hello,” he grinned.

“Hello,” you replied, your voice muffled by the fabric of his shirt as you pressed your face against his chest.

You filled up your lungs with his scent, a perfect balance between spices, fire and leather.

“What was so urgent?” you asked him, your face still buried in his large white shirt.

Caspian heaved a sigh, and you looked up at him, feeling his body suddenly tense between your arms.

“Caspian? What’s wrong?” you asked with an urgent voice.

He set his intense stare upon you.

“There are rumours…” he started.

Your eyes grew wide, and you took a step back, freeing yourself from Caspian’s body.

“Y/N…” he tried to stop you, but every second that passed you took another step away from him, every second getting a bit further away from him…

“What have you answered?” you asked in a shaking breath.

“Nothing for now,” Caspian answered, his tone cautious. “I thought that we should discuss it together first.”

“You must deny them.”

He could read fear in your eyes. Fear that your father could learn about what had been going on between you and Caspian, fear that he might call you away and you would have to go home to never see Caspian again…

But he couldn’t live like this, loving you only in the shadows. It wasn’t in his nature to hide. And you deserved better than a secret relationship…

“I know you are afraid of what your father might do,” he said slowly, but determination echoing through his tone. “But I’m not.”

“He can’t know, Caspian,” you shook your head, crossing your arms before your chest.

“So what is the plan then? Stay hidden all our lives?”

You bit your tongue.

“If my father learns about us he will bring me back home, and he might want to hurt you…”

You shook your head again, tears shining in your eyes.

“I can’t… Caspian I’m… _I’m just trying to protect you._ ”

Caspian’s stare softened, and he walked towards you, taking your trembling hands in his large palms.

“I know, Y/N,” he said softly. “But I don’t need you to protect me. Not from that.”

You looked down at your intertwined fingers. You wished they could never be apart.

“What do you want, Y/N?” Caspian asked softly, tightening his hold on your hand slightly. “If you forget about your father, about your rank and mine… what do you want?”

You held back your tears, but your throat tightened anyway, and when it passed your lips your voice was hoarse.

“I want you to hold me forever,” you whispered.

You could feel his stare upon you softening even more, and he wrapped his strong arms around your trembling shape, pressing you to his chest. You rested your ear against his torso, listening to his regular heartbeat, letting the thud sound calm you down.

“ _I feel so warm and safe in your arms,_ ” you whispered against his chest, your voice just loud enough for him to hear your words. “But Caspian, it’s not that simple…”

“It could be.”

He cupped your cheek, pulling away just enough to make you look up at him.

“I’m inviting your father to Narnia,” he said.

His tone was determined, you could hear this confidence he had lacked around you for a long time suddenly alit in his dark brown eyes. And you knew that there were no words that you could speak that could make him change his mind.

“He would not agree,” you argued.

“He will.”

“Caspian…”

“I love you.”

You froze, staring at him for a moment, your mouth left agape after such a shock. He had never spoken these words to you before…

“I love you,” he repeated slowly, the two infinite orbs filled with tenderness. “I will convince him. I must. I can’t see a way to live without you, so I guess… it doesn’t leave me any choice.”

You heaved a sigh, stroking his cheek, his short beard tickling your skin.

“I love you as well,” you smiled. “But this will not be easy, Caspian.”

But he merely grinned in response.

“Do you love me?” he asked, just to be sure that he had caught your words right.

“I do love you,” you nodded.

“Then nothing is impossible. I will convince him. Trust me.”

You nodded. You wanted to tell him that you trusted him with your life, that you knew deep down that he would find a way to convince your father, and if he couldn’t, you would be ready to give up on your past to be with him, running away to find shelter in Narnia.

But your voice was too tight, and your heart too filled with love and hope. You couldn’t manage to get all those words out. Instead, you merely smiled up at him, and when you spoke, your voice was trembling, but happy.

“ _Give me a kiss._ ”


End file.
